{"id":2818,"date":"2014-12-22T18:12:22","date_gmt":"2014-12-23T01:12:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rickdebruhl.com\/?p=2818"},"modified":"2014-12-22T18:17:19","modified_gmt":"2014-12-23T01:17:19","slug":"car-review-2015-toyota-highlander","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carcentrick.com\/?p=2818","title":{"rendered":"Car Review: 2015 Toyota Highlander"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are a lot of mid-sized SUVs out there these days. Just about every one of them has something special. But if you\u2019re looking for the best overall package, it\u2019s going to be hard not to choose the 2015 Toyota Highlander.<\/p>\n

\"2014<\/a>
2015 Toyota Highlander<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To be fair, it doesn\u2019t blow the competition away in every category. There are other SUVs with bigger engines or fancier interiors. The Highlander is like a great football team that is missing a big star, but has lots of strong players. The result is a winning team that leaves the competition wondering what happened.<\/p>\n

\"2015<\/a>
New Highlander Styling is Much Better Than Previous Generations.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In my mind, the closest thing the Highlander has to a star is its looks. That wasn\u2019t always the case. The first generation was pleasant enough. It helped establish Toyota in the mid-sized SUV range. Unfortunately the next two redesigns were disappointing. It was like Toyota wanted to be bold, but kept going conservative. This body style that debuted last year, and it finally turns the corner. It has an aggressive front end sweeping up to a nice angled beltline. In fact, I was leaving a parking lot and saw one driving on the road My first reaction was, \u201cThat\u2019s a nice looking SUV.\u201d Then I realized it was the same car I was driving. Because the styling was new in 2014, it will be fresh for years to come.<\/p>\n

You have your choice of two engines. There is a 185 horsepower four-cylinder, or a 270 horsepower six-cylinder. It\u2019s probably not much of a shock but I\u2019d definitely recommend the six. The power was perfect for this sized vehicle. Just enough to make you feel that you can punch\u00a0your way out of any situation. It even felt reasonably quick from a standing start. I haven\u2019t driven the smaller engine, but I\u2019m thinking that you\u2019ll be left wondering why you didn\u2019t spring for the extra two cylinders. You can expect 19 MPG in the city and 25 MPG on the highway in the two-wheel drive. My week in the all-wheel drive version averaged about 20 MPG.<\/p>\n

\"2015<\/a>
Go For Leather and you Won’t Be disappointed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Inside, the Highlander once again delivers a great overall experience. You won\u2019t confuse it with a luxury car, but you won\u2019t be left thinking you bought cheap. My test car was the Limited model with leather interior. It also had captain\u2019s chairs in the center row (with a very functional flip-up arm rest and drink holder). The third row isn\u2019t huge, but it\u2019s enough to haul extra people or kids when you need the room. I especially liked the cooling seats up front.<\/p>\n

\"2015<\/a>
Navigation is Better Than Average<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The dash is nicely laid out. I particularly liked the shelf underneath. It will quickly get filled up with all the stuff you need to manage your family or your latest driving vacation. There\u2019s even a handy hole to run your charger cable through. The video display is nice. Base models have a six-inch screen, while upscale models get an eight inch version. Navigation is above average.<\/p>\n

Driving is another winning experience. There are sportier rides, but the Highlander doesn\u2019t leave you wanting. It has plenty of safety options to help you survive like adaptive cruise control or lane departure warnings.<\/p>\n

For full disclosure, I\u2019m a little biased towards the Highlander. We bought one in 2005 and drove it 149,000 miles in nine years. Beyond the usual maintenance we never had to fix anything. Absolutely nothing. That\u2019s exactly what you want from a modern car.<\/p>\n

Mid-sized isn’t what it used to be. It’s bigger. In fact, the Highlander is bigger in just about every dimension over our first generation model. That’s a good thing. It means more leg and\u00a0hip room. If you want something the same size as that original Highlander you have to drop down to a compact SUV.<\/p>\n

\"2015<\/a>
Highlander Styling Works From Every Angle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Starting price for the base LE model is $30,695. For another thousand bucks you can get the six cylinder engine. It\u2019s worth the money. My limited test model with plenty of options was $41,120. It also had the Driver Technology package for $1,400 that included a pre-collision system and automatic high beams along with other safety goodies. You could pay another $10,000 to $15,000 for comparably equipped luxury car, but why? This Highlander has everything you want at a great price.<\/p>\n

The Highlander has always been a solid choice. I give Toyota credit for making it even better. If you\u2019re looking for a mid-sized SUV start with the Highlander. Other cars may entice you with various options or looks, but the Highlander delivers on every level.<\/p>\n

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